Deborah is a graduate of Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota where she received her BA in studio arts. She continued her education at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan where she received her MFA in Ceramics.

Before becoming an Associate Professor at Millersville University in 1997, Deborah was an Assistant Professor at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. Other professional experience includes working at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA, and being a Visiting Assistant Professor at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH and Carleton College in Northfield, MN.

She recently spent four months at the Tainan National University of the Arts in Taiwan from 2006-2007 doing research based sabbatical work as a visiting artist. Deborah received the Emerging Artist Fellowship Artist in Residence Grant from NCECA to spend two months at the International Ceramic Center in Denmark in 2004. In 1998, she worked at The Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, MN with the McKnight Foundation - McKnight Artist Residencies for Ceramic Artists for three months.

Deborah is the advisor of the Slip & Score Society which is the student ceramics club. Students attend workshops and take field trips to various locations. Students are also involved in the semi-annual pottery sale held in Breidenstine Hall. Pottery ranges from small cups and vases to larger plates and bowls. All students have a large range of firing techniques to explore including gas, electric, pit and soda firings. In 2009 the university built a new state-of-the-art gas kiln room with three new custom gas kilns.